It’s hard to believe that the holidays have come full swing to Detroit. Woodward had been turned into a sparkling winter land, Saturdays in Eastern Market now smell of spiced ciders and pine needles, while storefronts and galleries are preparing for the busy season ahead. In addition to traditional festivities, Detroit’s Midtown is gearing up for the 39th annual Noel Night.  On Saturday, Dec. 3, more than 60 venues, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (a Knight Arts grantee), the Detroit Historical Museum and the Detroit Public Library will open its doors and welcome visitors of all ages, free of charge. In addition, the streets of the cultural district will be bustling with horse-drawn carriages, holiday shopping, ice carvings, music performances and a pop up gallery.

Pop Up Detroit is a collaboration between Michelle Tanguay and Nina Marcus-Kurlonko that aims to create events that invigorate existing spaces, transforming them into temporary galleries and exposing an ever-changing roster of artists to new audiences. The impromptu nature of its work allows them to constantly develop new relationship ideas with boundless creativity creating pop-up events that exude energy. Marcus-Kurlonko was able to sit down and share a few thoughts about Pop Up Detroit and the artists that will be featured in its fifth exhibition at the Boydell House during Noel Night on Dec. 3.

 Vanessa Miller: Where did the idea for Pop Up Detroit come from?

Nina Marcus-Kurlonko: The idea came from William Singer, who is now living in Georgia going to grad school. He saw the concept in “The New York Times” and presented the concept to Michelle and me. From there, stuff started rolling together. Noel Night will be our fifth show in the past year and a half. We are popping up about every four months or so in different locations around the city. Repurposing spaces and bringing people into spaces they may have overlooked for years or have been curious about.

VM: Do you use different venues for every Pop Up?

NM: Yes, it has been very important to us not to use the same location twice. There are so many interesting places in this city that people often overlook, and we can give them a chance to get in there, do something different and have people come see great art work and something beautiful the city has to offer.

VM: What is the background of the venue you will be using for Noel Night?

NM: The Boydell House is located at 4614 Cass Ave., south of Cass Café. It was built in 1895 for William C Boydell. He was the vice president and treasurer of the Boydell Brothers White Lead and Color Company. From my understanding, the current owner has been working on it for about 15 years and it is currently vacant.

VM: Who is involved with the organization of Pop Up Detroit?

NM: The organization of the events is done by myself and Michelle Tanguay. We have grown to understand how to work together really well. I don’t think this project would be possible with anyone else.

VM: How do you select artists for your exhibitions?

NM: We accept submissions all year round, as well as placing calls for art on Facebook. We also seek out artists in the city that we respect and whose work we enjoy.

VM: Tell me more about the artists in this exhibition.

NM:There is a really great dynamic to the work in this show. Gilda Snowden, who won the Kresge Fellowship in 2009 and teaches fine arts at CCS, is displaying some of her works. As well as Bethany Shorb, who, to me, is the renaissance woman of Detroit. She works in so many mediums and has really created a success for herself. Dessi Terzieva, who is a law student at Wayne State University, does collage work that is really interesting. Sean Hages is a graduate from the College for Creative Studies, he is displaying these really beautiful rustograms. And so many more great artists who are coming out to work on this show.

 VM: Who are you most excited about?

NM: I am really excited about all of the work in this show. Amber Elle did an amazing instillation in the building using parachutes. It really helped transform the space to the next level.

 VM: What kind of work will be in the show?

NM: The exhibition is really multidimensional this time around. I think we really branched out to bring in some instillation work, projections, sculpture, screen printing, collages and performance work. I think it should be a really great show.

 VM: Who is your audience?

NM: We choose Noel Night because this is a night when families come down to the city and explore spaces they may not go to. We hope to branch out to all audiences, those who came to our shows over the past year and those who will just wander in. It is a show that everyone should be able to find something they enjoy and take home. Almost all of the work is for sale and it is important to support local artists and projects like this.

VM: What feeling do you want guests to walk away with?

NM: I think this is an opportunity for people to be excited about local talent in Detroit and to open their eyes to the potential of these buildings. We do these projects with a minimal budget and the transformation is amazing. I want people to realize that and enjoy their time while they look at the exhibitions.

 VM: How long will the exhibition run?

NM: This is still to be determined at this point.  But people can e-mail us at [email protected] for more info, or call 810-417-2510.

The 39th annual Noel Night will take place on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Midtown Detroit’s Cultural Center Area. More informaton about participating venues, included events and transportation, can be found on its website http://www.detroitmidtown.com.

Pop Up Detroits’ Fifth Exhibition will happen at the Boydell House at 4614 Cass Ave., next to Cass Cafe, on Dec. 3 from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. There will be music performances by Robert-David Jones, Joe Vargas and a surprise guest.